The 2026 NHL Draft is in the books, and it was one to remember for both the league and the Rangers. Top 10 picks were knowingly moved for the first time in years, the Blackhawks made one of the most baffling trades in recent memory, and the Rangers used a premium pick on an exciting defenseman, supplementing their trade for scoring winger Pavel Dorofeyev (a move that I love, by the way). So without any further delay, here’s my 2026 Rangers draft recap.
This was a weak draft for forwards, so it ultimately made a lot of sense that the Rangers leaned so heavily into drafting defensemen. I am a fan of this draft class overall, and believe that as many as 6 of the players drafted have NHL potential to varying degrees. For those unfamiliar with my draft recaps, I will grade each pick and provide some analysis based on information from various scouting sources, and then also provide my selection for each draft slot.
Round 1, Pick 5: Alberts Smits – LHD – Jukurit/Munchen
Viggo Bjorck and Chase Reid would have also made me happy, but I am excited about Alberts Smits, and selecting him over those two players is defensible. He was ranked 2nd on Pronman’s board in a virtual tie with Reid, and Wheeler also said he considered him for the best defenseman in the draft. A Miro Heiskanen-quality defender is an outcome I can see if he is handled correctly, which for me, includes not having him start next season with the big club.
Scott Wheeler has noted that he believes Smits has legitimate offensive upside, and I agree. He is a high-end skater and legitimately skated circles around junior competition when he played down a level in Finland, and he arguably has the best shot among the defensemen in the class. If he spends next year in Hartford or Europe, I can see him stepping into the Rangers lineup for a cameo at the end of the season. The Rangers have long needed a defenseman capable of leading a pairing away from Fox. It is not hard to picture Smits becoming that player. I will have a deeper dive into Smits’ game later this summer.
Grade: A
Will’s Pick: Chase Reid
Round 2, Pick 64: Ben MacBeath – LHD – Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
- Scott Wheeler: 44
- Corey Pronman: Not Ranked (I believe this was a mistake, called him a potential top 4 guy)
- EliteProspects: 65
I wasn’t really familiar with MacBeath going into the draft, as I was hyper-focused on potential forwards with this pick. But after doing a bit of research, I really love this selection. He was graded as a late first-rounder by some outlets and was widely expected to go earlier. The new CHL-NCAA agreement opened the door for MacBeath to make the jump up from the BCHL to the WHL last season, and he stepped up to the task. He produced offensively, finishing 5th in points among draft-eligible defenders. Standing at nearly 6’3″, MacBeath adds standout mobility to the Rangers’ prospect pool.
He will join fellow WHLers Ryan Lin and Daxon Rudolph at the University of Denver next season. While this will limit his offensive opportunities, he gets to develop at a perennial national championship contender under one of the best coaches in the entire sport. The key for him will be to ramp up his intensity without sacrificing the poise that made him such a standout player in Calgary. The Rangers’ left side has been a weakness for a while. In Smits and MacBeath, John Lilley is on his way to turning it into a strength.
Grade: A
Will’s Pick: Tomas Chrenko (spoiler alert)
Round 3, Pick 67: Danai Shaiikov – Goalie – Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
- Scott Wheeler: NR
- Corey Pronman: NR
- EliteProspects: NR
I’ll start off by making it clear that, while I do think drafting a goalie was a priority in this draft, I wouldn’t have used this pick on one. That being said, this is another defensible pick by the Rangers. I don’t want to sound reductive, but goalies are so hard to evaluate that I think it is genuinely ok to base a large part of your analysis on the numbers. A toolsy goalie who has consistently posted save percentages below .900 is incredibly unlikely to start doing so as they move up levels, but a goalie with a strong statistical track record is a relatively good bet to continue performing at higher levels.
On paper, Shaiikov looks like a good bet for the Rangers. He posted a .903 sv% for an abysmal Gatineau team, and his statistical track record in Russia also paints a flattering picture. EliteProspects notes that he is known for his quickness and athleticism and is a strong reader of the game. He is definitely one to keep an eye on, even if I think they could have gotten him later than this.
Grade: B
Will’s Pick: Ethan McKenzie
Round 3, Pick 77: Charlie Morrison – LHD – Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
- Scott Wheeler: 94
- Corey Pronman: 78
- EliteProspects: 72
By this point in the draft, the Rangers fans begging for a forward selection were starting to get annoyed, so the initial reaction to this pick was negative. And while I was also screaming for Chrenko (spoiler alert), Morrison looks like another worthwhile bet by the Rangers as someone who could eventually play a 3rd pairing role. Morrison is big and extremely toolsy, and that includes being a very mobile defender.
Morrison is noted as an aggressive defensive player who tries to close down attackers quickly, and is also strong at moving the puck out of his own end thanks to his skating – his controlled exit data looks really strong. Rangers fans in the Connecticut area will have the chance to watch his skating and physicality live next season, as he is committed to the University of Connecticut.
Grade: B
Will’s Pick: Adam Andersson
Round 3, Pick 81: Tomas Chrenko – RHC – HK Nitra (Slovakia)
- Scott Wheeler: 32
- Corey Pronman: 64
- EliteProspects: 88
Chrenko is my favorite pick in this class by a distance. It has been a really, really long time since I have been this excited about a Rangers mid-round pick – the last time I legitimately remember feeling this way was the Igor selection in 2014, and the Buchnevich/Duclair picks in 2013. Chrenko’s size will be a question for some, but the rest of his skill set is easily first-round caliber (I would have taken him at 26 if we kept the pick).
While the Slovakian league is not one of Europe’s strongest, 31 points in 44 games as a draft-eligible player is seriously impressive production. To accomplish that scoring rate as a slightly undersized player at the pro level speaks volumes about his ability. He also scored the overtime winner in a Game 7 to earn Nitra the league championship.
Chrenko was a standout player at the World Juniors last December and has the opportunity to be a leading scorer at this year’s tournament on an intriguing Slovakia team. He’s not a slam dunk to be a success, and where he goes next matters. The broadcast said he was off to Western Michigan University, but that is not confirmed yet. I like college hockey as a next step, but I could also see a move to a different European league being beneficial.
Grade: A+
Will’s Pick: Adam Valentini, but only because I was taking Chrenko much earlier.
Round 4, Pick 101: Spencer Bowes – C/W – Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
- Scott Wheeler: NR
- Corey Pronman: NR
- EliteProspects: 136
Bowes is not a player I was familiar with coming into the draft, but once again, after digging deeper, I like this pick! Bowes made the jump from the CCHL to the OHL. He initially struggled offensively, posting only 3 points in his first 17 games of the season. In the second half of the season, he became close to a point-per-game player, and in 2026, he had the highest even-strength scoring rate in the OHL among draft-eligible players.
From the EliteProspects Draft Guide:
Pace is Bowes’ game. His feet are always moving toward the play. With possession, he uses a ton of crossovers, and he’s smart with his routes, timing them to make sure he’s a threat for as long as possible. He’s hunting give-and-gos constantly, quickly passing wide, skating the middle, and firing the return pass on the net instantly. Whether on the forecheck or in the defensive zone, Bowes is impacting the game. He closes space quickly and looks for contact, forcing a ton of turnovers. Always scanning, he identifies threats, eliminates them, and communicates with his teammates.
I think this is an intriguing swing on a player with some development runway. It looks like he is committed to Providence for the 2027 season to play under Nate Leahman. Definitely one to keep an eye on for a production jump once the OHL season kicks off in the fall!
Grade: B
Will’s Pick: Mikey Berchild
Round 6, Pick 162: Andre Mondoux – LHD – Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
- Scott Wheeler: NR
- Corey Pronman: NR
- EliteProspects: 156
Continuing the scouting staff’s trend of drafting big overagers with late-round picks, the 6’3″ Mondoux was ranked 156 by EliteProspects. They had this to say about him:
A hard-hitting, battling defenceman, Mondoux already understands how to use his size to his advantage. He’s a tight rush defender, closing gaps on the reception and denying the space for opponents to build speed. On retrievals, he engulfs the puck from opponents as he scans for options, often making high-skill plays back through the forecheck to create easy exits.
Don’t be fooled by Mondoux’s lack of production. He’s a heavily involved player with the puck and had many standout offensive sequences
Grade: B-
Will’s Pick: Landon Hafele
Round 6, Pick 163: Darian Anderson – RW – Flint Firebirds (OHL)
- Scott Wheeler: NR
- Corey Pronman: NR
- EliteProspects: NR
Another overager pick used on Anderson, who fits this scouting staff’s prototype as a big winger with year-over-year production growth. He turns 20 in December, so count me skeptical that he has a ton of development runway. Seems like the first pick of the Rangers’ draft where pace is a serious issue, but you are always drafting very imperfect players at this point. Nothing to hate about the pick, but the age and production indicate this is a real long-shot.
Grade: C-
Will’s Pick: Dayne Beuker
Round 7, Pick 193: Ivan Patrikhayev – LHD – CSKA Moskova (KHL)
- Scott Wheeler: NR
- Corey Pronman: NR
- EliteProspects: NR
I haven’t watched this player, but I am incredibly intrigued by this pick. You **have** to be a good player to play for CSKA as a 19/20 year old. That Patrikhayev did so and was very, very productive is a very positive indicator that he should be taken seriously as a prospect. His 13 KHL points led all U20 defensemen in the league by a distance. In fact, he was 4th in KHL scoring among all U20 players. Once again, it appears the Rangers brass prioritized adding yet another excellent skater to the prospect group. Below is an excerpt from the EliteProspects guide:
Fluid, agile, speedy, Patrikhayev catches pucks in motion, escapes forecheckers, draws in additional pressure, and passes to open teammates. His mobility hasn’t yet translated into stopping power or true quarterbacking abilities at the KHL level, but we can safely project that these facets of his game will continue to develop. If they do sufficiently, he may put himself on an NHL path.
To get a smooth-skating, productive KHL defenseman in the 7th round is promising and closes out my favorite draft under Lilley and co.
Grade: A
Will’s Pick: Ivan Patrikhayev
Closing Thoughts
I feel like in the past, I have had to do some mental gymnastics to like our drafts, but this year, I really don’t believe any gymnastics are required. As you can see from my picks, I would have gone in a different direction at a few spots, but I think this draft added at least three legitimate NHL prospects to our defense pool, as well as a legit center prospect with top-9 scoring upside (or more).
I love that a clear trait the team targeted was plus-level skating, because it has been the biggest organizational weakness over the past decade. I expect Smits to be an impact player for the Rangers, and I am excited to dive into his tape this summer to provide a true scouting report on his game.
In terms of an overall grade for the class, I truly believe that your top-pick grades should be weighted higher, as it’s far more important that you hit on those picks. My unimpeachable weighted GPA system gives this draft a 3.5 GPA, and I think that’s probably fair.